Simulating Hourly Hydropower Operations for the Assessment of Environmental and Economic Impact

by David A. Harpman, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Boise, United States, A. Spreck Rosekrans, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Boise, United States, Ronald E. Moulton, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Boise, United States,

Generation of peaking power at Glen Canyon Dam causes river flow and stage to fluctuate on an hourly basis. This has been shown to impact the downstream physical and biological environment. Alternative management regimes are being considered to reduce these impacts. If implemented, these will reduce the amount of peaking power produced. Substantial economic and financial costs will result. A careful assessment of the tradeoff between financial/economic cost and environmental benefit is essential. This paper compares the use of two models, the trapezoid model and the peak shaving model for the simulation of constrained hydropower operations.